Thursday, February 14, 2008

Cell Phone Games

Cell Phone Games

One of the newest platforms for the video game is the cell phone As mobiles use more advanced technology they pack more computer processing power In addition the new phones have larger displays in order to allow users to use the address book global positioning photography PDA text messaging and web browsing capabilities that are becoming standard on mobile devices All of these things have given people more to do with their phones than just download new ring tones
Game developers are taking advantage of the enhancements on handsets and are making new and advanced cell phone video games Sure early generations of cellular phones had games but they were like the earliest console video games little more than dots and dashes Todays games however are as advanced as the ones on popular portable consolesmModern mobiles have full color displays fast game play and even multiplayer capabilities Even people who were not traditional gamers are discovering gaming on their phones Part of the reason is that they already have it since a cell phone game is often either free or only a few dollars people are willing to make the minimal investment to try the games In addition since you always have your phone the games are there whenever you have a free moment Riding on the bus Waiting in a long line at the bank Stood up by your date Whip out your phone and kill some time with a game on your phone You can even download new games from wherever you are so if you are bored it can be the ideal solution to keep you occupied

Often manufacturers or service providers also known as carriers offer free games with your phone purchase Other games can be downloaded for free or purchased for play Much like other online games some mobile phone video games require a one time purchase and others are subscription based

Most cellular phones that can play video games are enabled with either BREW or J2ME technology If your phone has Internet access you should be able to download and play games on it To find games for your phone search for your phone model and the word games Of course the best way to find out if a game will play on your phone is to access games through your service provider

Choosing the right video games for kids can be quite a challenge especially if youre a concerned parent who wants to provide your child with a game that theyll enjoy while at the same time ensuring that the content is appropriate for a young person of that particular age group For example more violent games like Mortal Kombat are perfectly suitable for a young adult but it might not be such a good idea to provide 7yearold Billy with that particular blood bath Video games for kids can get controversial but if you look carefully there are countless gems out there that are both appropriate and fun Contrary to popular belief your childs brain will not rot if they partake in a video game or two In fact video games for kids are designed to be educational making the process of learning the alphabet mathematics logic reasoning puzzle solving and strategizing fun Children typically have short attention spans so it is important to help keep their interest and there are tons of video games out there that teach concentration look at the image above At the same time you have to be careful which video games you provide your child Some may not be appropriate while others are perfectly suitable Thats where the ESRB comes into play It is unrealistic to rely on the video game industry to solely release titles that are appropriate for all age groups especially considering that the average video game player is between 25 and 35 years old This target demographic yearns for more complex offerings and oftentimes these types of games come with sexual or violent themes In this way it is up to the parents to do the parenting and not the video game industry at large The single best way to determine whether a particular title is appropriate for your child is to check the ESRB rating printed on the front cover of the game This rating much like movie ratings will indicate whether there is questionable content within There are currently six levels

EC for Early Childhood Suitable for ages 3 and older No inappropriate material whatsoever but also probably not very fun or enjoyable for older children
E for Everyone Suitable for ages 6 and older The vast majority of games fall into this category They may contain minimal violence or mild language
E10 for Everyone 10 Suitable for ages 10 and older More violence more language and the possibility of infrequent blood or suggestive themes
T for Teen Suitable for ages 13 and older Similar to a movie with a PG13 rating these games may have more violence simulated gambling sexual content and or language Most professional wrestling games for example fall under this category
M for Mature Suitable for 17 and older Parental discretion is highly advised as there may be some rather intense blood and gore Prototypical examples would include Doom Quake and Rainbow Six Many retailers will not sell Mrated games to minors

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